Improvement in car-couplings



UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

LYGURGUS JEDSON BOSWORTH, OF MONMOUTH, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 113,730, dated April 18, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LYCURGUS JEnsoN Boswon'rn, of Monmouth, in the county of Warren and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Railroad-Gar Coupling; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a longitudinal sectional view of my improved coupling. Fig. 2 is a plan view; and Fig. 3 an end or face view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre sponding parts.

My invention consists in a new way of supporting the pivoted jaw of a coupling, so that it will fall and allow the car to uncouple whenever the said car is carried off the track.

A in the drawing represents the draw-bar of the coupling. It is in suitable manner affixed to the framework of the car or truck, and forms a cavity, a, at its front or outer end for the reception of the coupling-link. The lower part of this aperture is formed by a pivoted jaw, B, which turns on a pin, b, and has a gownwardly-projecting ear, 0, at its outer en The upper edge of the jaw is made concave, as at d, to form the lower part of the lock for the head of the link. The upper part of this lock is formed by a downward projection, e, on the root of the chamber a.

C is a ring or annular plate laid around the draw bar in a loose manner, so that it can slide thereon. D is a lever pivoted in the plate or ring 0, its lower end extending into or through the draw-bar, as shown. By swinging the lever the ring will be moved -lengthwise on the draw-bar.

The lever has its front part weighted, as at f, so that it will naturally drop forward and carry the ring flush or nearly so with the end of the draw-bar. In this position the plate 0 will strike the car 0 of the jaw and swing the same up to lock the coupling-link, the rear of the jaw resting then upon a pin, g, in the draw'bar.

Before coupling, the ring is drawn back, as on the right-hand portion of Fig. 1, so that the jaw will drop open, as shown. The coupling-link E has a globular or other head, h, at each end. WVhen thrust into the draw-bar it strikes the elevated rear part of the jaw and swings the same down. The lever is now dropped forward to lock the jaw by'means of the slide 0, as in the left-hand portion of Fig. 1.

Whenever the cars run off the track th faces of the plates 0 will be set oblique, and will crowd each other back, thereby releasing the jaw and uncoupling the cars.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A sliding ring, 0, combined with a pivoted jaw having do\vnwardly-projecting ear 0 and a cavity between said lip and the center, for the purpose of enabling the twist, occasioned by a run off the track, to unseat the support-- ing ring, allow the jaw to fall, and uncouple the car.

LYGURGUS J. BOSWORTIL Witnesses:

FRANCIS B. KENDALL, JAMES H. STRUTHERS. 

